The present invention relates to a safety switch, and in particular a safety switch having a lockable switch mechanism.
Safety switches are often used to control the supply of electricity to electrically powered machinery. Typically, a safety switch is located on a doorpost of an enclosure inside which is located kinetic machinery. On the door to the enclosure is located an actuator which is engageable with the safety switch. When the door to the enclosure is opened, the actuator is not in engagement with the safety switch. When the actuator is not engaged with the safety switch, electrical contacts within the safety switch are kept apart such that electricity may not be supplied to the machinery within the enclosure. Thus, a user may enter and move around the enclosure with a reduced risk of injury, since the machinery is not operating. If the door to the enclosure is closed, the actuator is brought into engagement with the safety switch. The contacts in the safety switch are then brought into contact with each other such that electricity may be supplied to the machinery within the enclosure. This sort of arrangement, which is often referred to as a safety interlock, is used in a wide variety of applications.
A safety switch having a lockable switch mechanism is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,872,898. That safety switch comprises a mechanism which comprises a plurality of elements that co-operate to lock a switch plunger in position, or allow it to move. Part of the locking mechanism comprises a solenoid and a solenoid plunger. The solenoid plunger is moveable in the solenoid and abuts against a contact block plunger of a contact block. When the solenoid plunger is energised, the solenoid plunger moves, which in turn causes or allows movement of the contact block plunger. The contact block plunger is moveable to move bridging contacts into or out of electrical connection with fixed contacts of the contact block to allow or prevent a safety switch of which the switch mechanism is a part to allow or prevent the conduction of electricity (e.g. to machinery in a machine guard).
The locking arrangement disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,872,898 works well. However, existing safety switches which use this arrangement have a number of disadvantages. The way in which elements of the safety switch are positioned restricts the overall shape of the safety switch. Furthermore, due to the large number of co-operating elements of the safety switch, the design and manufacturing tolerances that need to be met to produce a reliable safety switch are very small.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to obviate or mitigate at least one of the disadvantages of the prior art, whether identified herein or elsewhere.